The Corrugated Packaging Alliance recently released a new life cycle assessment of packaging for eight common produce commodities, which shows neither corrugated containers nor reusable plastic containers have an advantage in all environmental impact categories.
Digital print technology does not need a separate plate for each print run — unlike offset and flexo printing. Instead, all colors are printed in a single pass. Not having to constantly replace plates is a big cost and time saver.
The corrugated packaging market is set to grow from around $315 million in 2017 to more than $380 million by 2023, as trends such as e-commerce, digital print and sustainability drive ongoing growth, according to a study from Smithers Pira.
Periodic testing performed to a protocol designed by food safety, microbiology and toxicology experts from the University of California-Davis and Haley & Aldrich, and sponsored by the corrugated industry confirms corrugated containers used to transport fresh produce are safe and clean.